1996 318is drive panel lights don't work

[Das Chimney]

The drive stick panel lights & control panel on my 318is went dead. An 'expert' diagnosed it as a faulty switch and bypassed the switch with a wire while he waited for the switch to be delivered in a few days. The bypass was to get the lights to work in the meantime - and it worked - until the next day, when all the same lights went dead again. The alram system was still working.
Two days later, the car would not turn off and the alarm system went dead. Took car back to the 'expert'.
He then opened up the control panel and discovered that the wiring harness that was installed with an aftermarket alarm system (by a reputable electronics dealer 4 years ago) had shorted (the insulation on the wires was melted - he showed this to me). He also told me that the alarm system was not fused when it was installed and it's power had been connected directly to a 60Amp fuse (the main fuse I suppose).
What could be the root cause ?
1. Is it faulty alarm installation (from 4 years ago) ?
2. Is it the shorting of the 'switch' to drive panel lights ?
Where do I start ? :mad:

[johnf]

I have a 1996 U.S. 318is, have done a fair amount of rewiring, and still can't help you. I am confused by the following.

The drive stick panel lights & control panel on my 318is went dead.What is the drive stick panel or drive stick control panel? Which lamps are you referring to?

An 'expert' diagnosed it as a faulty switch and bypassed the switch with a wire while he waited for the switch to be delivered in a few days.Which switch? There are many I can think of.

The bypass was to get the lights to work in the meantime - and it worked - until the next day, when all the same lights went dead again.Which lights? All the lights in the car? Or just specific ones, and if so, which ones, specifically?

The alram system was still working.What kind of alarm do you have? If it is an aftermarket alarm, where does it plug in or if it doesn't, where does it tap in?

Two days later, the car would not turn off and the alarm system went dead.What wouldn't turn off? The engine or something else? And what specifically?

He then opened up the control panel and discovered that the wiring harness that was installed with an aftermarket alarm system (by a reputable electronics dealer 4 years ago) had shorted (the insulation on the wires was melted - he showed this to me).Which control panel,?

He also told me that the alarm system was not fused when it was installed and it's power had been connected directly to a 60Amp fuse (the main fuse I suppose).There are no 60A fuses in a 318is. There is also no main fuse, only a fusible link between the battery and fuse box.

What could be the root cause ?
1. Is it faulty alarm installation (from 4 years ago) ?
2. Is it the shorting of the 'switch' to drive panel lights ?
Where do I start ? :mad:Beats me. I know it is really frustrating dealing with such things. I spent most of last night troubleshooting and repairing a CD changer and replacing a remote control, both of which decided to quit working on the very same day last week. (The failures proved to be unrelated and not entirely obvious.) I, and likely others, would like to help you, but at the moment can not because I (or we) can't figure out what has gone wrong.

Is there any chance you could take and post some pictures of what has failed and the various things you and the expert are referring to? I know it can be kind of tricky because of all the clutter in the car, but try to make the pictures as clear and sharp as possible, and zoom in on the problem areas and suspected problem areas. Ideally, the pictures should be sharp and detailed enough to make out the wire colors and stripes to compare against the car's electrical drawings.

-John

[ardsam]

Oldest post hehe